Beyond the Boudoir: Hotel Rooftop Bars

My new favorite thing about hotels: rooftop bars. On a recent trip to New York City, I happened to stay at two different hotels, each with a rooftop bar. This wasn’t a requirement for my booking, but it was a nice amenity to my stay.

Rooftop bars have grown up over the years. Plastic chairs and table covers have been replaced with cushioned-lounge chairs and clear plastic tables. Twinkle lights and flowing drapes provide the ambiance for the evening. In New York City, the rooftop bars provide some of the best views of Manhattan (hint: skip the line at the Empire State Building and head to a rooftop bar for a cocktail and the same views).

What I love most about these rooftop bars is the design – they are inviting, enticing and alluring, and posses a certain boudoir-style that not only makes you feel comfortable, but also a little sexy.

Mad46, Roosevelt Hotel

Mad46 at The Roosevelt Hotel: Let’s get the important thing out of the way first: this bar has the best mojitos on the planet (or at least in New York). There is a mojito menu, but don’t bother – go straight for the Mad46 Mojito and don’t look back. The drink comes in a tall glass, complete with toasted coconut and a chocolate stick. It’s dessert and a cocktail in one glass. I might have had more than one… but I lost count after two…

To get to Mad46, guests enter from 46th street (at Madison) through a private entrance. You’ll wait in a queue guarded by enormous men wearing all black and when it’s your time, you’ll be escorted through a dark hallway lit with red lights toward an elevator. The one elevator fits the same decor – all black with red trimming – and one enormous man will take you to 19th floor of the hotel.

Arrive on the early side and you’ll score a table, which provides perfect views of the Upper West and Upper East sides through the tended green plants and flowers that line the perimeter of the roof.

Don’t be surprised when your hostess brings you cocktails in a plastic glass – it’s the norm (and the law) in New York. Order the cheese plate (it’s divine!) and enjoy your night at Mad46.

Rare Bar, Affinia Shelburne

Rare Bar & Grill at Affinia Shelburne: If you’re staying at the hotel, this bar will surely set your mood. A separate elevator provides entrance to the Rare Rooftop Bar at the Affinia Shelburne in Murray Hill, but hotel guests can get there through the stairways or any of the hotel elevators. Step onto the roof and you’re immediately transported to a twinkle-lit wonderland atop NYC. The white lights are strewn across the roof in perfect lines and create the mood-lighting for the evening.

On one side of the roof: tablecloths adorn the intimate dining area where parties of two or more can order up treats from Rare and enjoy cocktails from the bar. On the other side, full-size lounges are opened and draped with sheer curtains in varying colors. Plants and flowers provide the background to this boudoir-type atmosphere and you can pre-order a bottle of champagne to chill while you lie under the NYC skyline. It’s romantic and inviting, and it’s got sex-appeal.

Approach with caution: it’s possible you’ll fall in love, or at least want the name of the designer so you can redo your own bedroom.